La La Land 2016

RATINGS

IMDb- 8.8/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 93%

My Reviewal- 4.2/5

PLOT

On a crowded Los Angeles highway during winter ("Another Day of Sun"), Mia (Emma Stone), an on-studio barista and aspiring actress, is distracted by her preparation for an upcoming audition, which leads to a moment of road rage between her and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz pianist. Her audition proves to be yet another failure. At the same time, Sebastian is having problems paying his bills, leading to an argument with his sister, Laura (Rosemarie DeWitt) before going to his next gig at a restaurant. That night, Mia's three roommates, in an attempt to cheer her up, invite her to a lavish party in the Hollywood Hills ("Someone in the Crowd"). When Mia's car is towed, she is forced to walk back to her apartment.

Sebastian is instructed by the restaurant's owner, Bill (J. K. Simmons), not to play any jazz. While playing simple variations of Christmas songs, he slips into a passionate improvisation, which Mia overhears as she walks past the restaurant ("Mia & Sebastian's Theme"). Moved by his talent, she enters to watch him play, but Sebastian is promptly fired for his disobedience. As he walks out, Mia attempts to compliment his playing, but he coldly passes her in his frustration.

Months later, Mia is at another party and notices Sebastian again, now playing as the keyboardist for a 1980s pop cover band. She playfully irks him by requesting the band to play "I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls. After the gig, the two walk together to find their cars. They lament being in each other's company, despite the clear chemistry between them ("A Lovely Night").

Sebastian takes her to a jazz club, explaining his intense love for jazz and his aspirations of running his own club, as well as reinforcing her passion as an actress. They warm up to each other ("City of Stars"). Sebastian asks her to a screening of Rebel Without a Cause at a theater. While getting ready for her date with Sebastian, Greg (Finn Wittrock), a man she has been seeing, shows up for a scheduled date. Mia reluctantly goes on the double date with Greg and his brother. She feels out of place on the date and abruptly leaves to rush to the theater, managing to find Sebastian just as the film starts. They begin to move in for a kiss but are interrupted when the film fails to play. Mia and Sebastian finish their date at the Griffith Observatory and dance ("Planetarium").

Mia, after several more failed auditions, decides to write a personal single-actress play, So Long, Boulder City, at Sebastian's suggestion. Sebastian becomes a regular performer at the jazz bar and the two move in together. Sebastian is reunited with a high school classmate, Keith (John Legend), who offers him a chance to be the keyboardist in his jazz band The Messengers, which offers a steady source of income. Sebastian accepts but is dismayed when he discovers the band's more pop-oriented sound. Mia attends one of their concerts but is left unsettled, knowing Sebastian would never enjoy playing that type of music ("Start a Fire"). During the band's first tour, Mia confronts Sebastian about this. He admits that he thought it was what she wanted of him. He then criticizes her for liking him only when he was unsuccessful. Insulted, Mia leaves.

On opening night of Mia's play, Sebastian fails to show up due to a photo shoot with the band that he had forgotten about. Only a handful of people attend the show and Mia overhears their negative comments about it from backstage. Devastated and hurt, Mia leaves Los Angeles to move back in with her parents in Boulder City, Nevada. Sebastian receives a call from a casting director who attended Mia's play. The casting director extends an invite for Mia to attend a film audition the following morning. Sebastian drives to Boulder City and persuades Mia to return to Hollywood for the audition. Unlike previous tryouts Mia experienced, she is simply asked to tell a story for her audition. She begins to talk, and then sing, about her vivacious aunt who lived in Paris, where the film is being set, and who inspired her to pursue acting ("Audition [The Fools Who Dream]"). She and Sebastian go to Griffith Observatory where, confident that the audition was a success, he says she must devote herself wholeheartedly to the opportunity. Acknowledging the incompatibility of their dreams, the two promise they will love each other forever.

Five years later, Mia is a famous actress but married to another man (Tom Everett Scott) with whom she has a daughter. One night, her husband notices a jazz bar after they go out for dinner. They enter, and Mia, noticing the "Seb's" logo she had designed, realizes it is Sebastian's club. Sebastian, having left The Messengers, recognizes Mia in the crowd. He begins to play "Mia & Sebastian's Theme" and as he plays, Mia imagines a completely different life that she could have led with Sebastian following their encounter at Bill's restaurant ("Epilogue"). The song ends and Mia leaves with her husband. Just before walking out, Mia shares with Sebastian one last knowing look and smile, happy for the dreams they have achieved.